Defining Moments
by Usami
Summary: /pre series/ But how was it possible? They were just monkeys, after all. How could they understand?


I've wanted to write this one for a long time, ever since "Golden Age" first premiered. I'm not sure why it took me so long to actually _do _it. But hey, it got done anyway. Despite some problems, I kind of like how this turned out. Let me know what you think when (if) you finish.

There are a good number of reasons I wanted to write this, and normally I would take this time to explain them. But the story itself is long enough without my author ramblings, so I'm just going to skip it and let you read it (if you can stand the length, for which I apologize for. I didn't mean to make it so long).

Anyway, I'll stop now. Enjoy!

**Defining Moments**

"They've sure gotten pretty big since the last time I saw them…"

"They certainly have. I must admit, I was initially worried about how they would develop. But now I'm quite please with them."

With a shrug, Clayton Carrington leaned against the wall behind him and placed his silver helmet on one of the nearby machines. He didn't know much about monkeys, and he certainly wasn't sure what to make of the colorful simians the Alchemist had in this underground lab, but he knew his friend better than to question his research. The Alchemist probably wouldn't have given him a straight answer anyway…

"So," he spoke up again, "have you finally thought of names for them?"

"I believe I have," the robed scientist replied, rising to his feet. He motioned to the corner where the green monkey was – unsuccessfully – trying to initiate a game with the blue monkey. "Those two are Gibson and Otto."

"Which one's which?" Clayton wondered.

"Well…" The Alchemist paused as the blue monkey lightly pushed the other off. "Otto is the more…_energetic _one."

The superhero watched as the green monkey jumped on top of the blue one. "Ah."

Motioning to the table where the red monkey lay, attempting to sleep, the Alchemist continued, "That one over there is Sprx." Suddenly the orange monkey jumped up onto the table, screeching at the red one who awoke with a start. The Alchemist sighed. "And that one is Mandarin. Mandarin, don't…" Before he had a chance to intervene, both monkeys leapt from the table and landed on the floor. The red one seemed to pout a little as he silently shuffled away.

Clayton bit back a smile as the scientist gently chided the orange monkey. His friend certainly had a strange taste in names.

As the Alchemist allowed the orange simian to go, the yellow monkey walked over to him and sat at his feet. The man smiled, patting her head as he addressed the hero, "And this one is Nova."

"She's the only girl, right?"

The Alchemist nodded. "Indeed."

"Is that a good thing?" Clayton asked as he watched the red monkey saunter towards her.

"I believe she will handle herself fine," the Alchemist replied. The red monkey crouched down, looking ready to pounce on her. But the yellow monkey glared at him, forcing him to nervously back away.

With a small laugh, the hero continued to watch all the monkey antics in front of him. But it took him a while before he finally noticed. "Isn't there one missing?"

Looking around, the robed man frowned. "Hmm. I wonder where –?"

The orange monkey, Mandarin, suddenly shrieked, jumping up and down before running off into another area of the lab.

Clayton watched curiously as the simian disappeared. "Where's _he _going?"

"He must be going to retrieve Antauri," the Alchemist said, shaking his head.

"Antauri?" Clayton repeated, looking at his friend.

"Yes. The black monkey."

Clayton rolled his eyes. "Where do you _come up_ with these things?"

Before the Alchemist could answer, Mandarin returned with the black monkey slowly following him. Head tipped to the side, Antauri looked up at the men inquiringly.

"Antauri," the robed man said, "why don't you say hello to our guest?"

Suddenly Gibson ran past, darting between the two humans and the black monkey. Otto, who was still chasing the blue monkey and had jumped to catch him, landed on Antauri instead and sent the two crashing into the blue one anyway.

The hero watched as the three began to wrestle. "Shouldn't you stop that?"

The Alchemist shook his head. "It is merely play," he replied, "and a part of the way they interact. They mean no harm."

As the lively bout continued, Antauri managed to duck out of the game. Watching the two for a moment, he then turned and headed away.

"Doesn't look like Antauri wants to join the fun," Clayton remarked.

"Well, while he does enjoy spending time with the others, there are also times when he prefers to be alone."

"Prefers?" Clayton repeated, looking at his friend.

"Yes. I suppose it's just part of his personality."

The hero laughed a little, pushing himself away from the wall. "How can they have personalities? I mean, they're just monkeys, aren't they? It's not like they really _know _what's going on…"

The Alchemist looked at him, disappointment shading his different-colored eyes. "Do not be so quick to judge them," he said. "Just because they are monkeys does not mean they are all the same. Each possesses unique characteristics that allow them to perceive the world differently, and they understand their environment based on their unique experiences. Part of the reason they are social creatures is to learn from each other _because_ they are diverse. Each monkey _does_ have an individual personality, just as you and I have personalities of our own, and they are sometimes more aware of 'what's going on' than humans ever could be."

With a puzzled frown, Clayton looked away. He wasn't about to debate the ethics of monkeys. As he turned to the adjacent wall, he found himself looking at something that was not there during his last visit. "What are those?" he asked.

Following his friend's gaze, the Alchemist approached the wall and carefully removed the objects from their resting place. "These," he said as he showed them to the hero, "are special gauntlets I designed for…confrontational purposes."

Taking one of the gauntlets from the robed scientist, Clayton carefully examined it. The flat, dull-gray matter protruding from the orange base reminded him of a sword. "You mean like a fight?" he asked, glancing at the other man. "I thought you were a peacenik."

The Alchemist frowned at the term. "While I would rather choose nonviolent means to solve problems, there are circumstances when force is the only option. In any case, it is best to be prepared."

The superhero nodded, looking at the other orange glove the Alchemist still held. The dull-gray disc attached to the wrist appeared similar to the material the sword was made of. "So how do these work?"

"Perhaps you should try it on and see."

With a small shrug, Clayton slipped the sword gauntlet on his hand. Suddenly, the blade began to surge with a burning energy and glow with a blue-white light.

"Whoa!" the hero said, holding out the weapon. Even at arms' length, he could feel the heat radiating from the blade.

"The blue energy allows the sword to pierce through and sever even the most durable material," the Alchemist explained. Holding up the other gauntlet, he added, "Containing the same energy, the shield is able to deflect many types of attacks."

"Not bad," Clayton said, removing the sword and watching the blue energy fade back into gray. "Think I could use 'em sometime?"

Gently taking the sword, the scientist replaced the gauntlets on the wall. "Perhaps."

"Aww. And here I thought you made 'em for me," the hero teased.

The Alchemist shook his head, a good-natured smile on his lips. "There are still some modifications I would like to make for them. For now, however, there are other projects that I wish to attend to."

Clayton nodded. "Speaking of things to attend to, I'd better get going. I've got a…meeting tonight."

The Alchemist looked at his friend knowingly. "Of course."

Clayton grinned and shrugged. "What can I say?" Turning, he reached for his helmet, but his hands froze when he realized that it wasn't where he had left it. "What the…?"

Soft chattering drew the men's attention to where Otto and Mandarin sat on the floor, inspecting the silver headgear. Then the green monkey held the helmet down while the orange one began to pound his paws on the round surface.

"Hey!" Rushing over, Clayton wrenched the helmet away from the two. Looking at the Alchemist, he accused, "What's up with them?"

The robed man shook his head. "I cannot say. They have never done anything like that before."

"Yeah, well…" The hero shrugged it off, deciding that this furthered his point that the monkeys really _didn't _know what they were doing. Wiping away any potential scratches, Captain Shuggazoom once again assumed his helmet. Then he walked with the Alchemist towards the lab entrance.

Neither man noticed the small device that fell from the helmet as the hero walked away. The two monkeys, however, sat where it landed, looking at the item curiously. Slowly, Otto picked up the red-blinking microchip, damaged from the beating it received before, and sniffed it before holding it to the orange monkey, chattering questioningly. Mandarin grabbed the device and threw it to the ground. The red light pulsed twice before it died.

* * *

As the Alchemist made preparations for the day, he tried to remember when he last checked the Super Robot stationed just outside of the lab. It was a long while, that much he knew, and it worried him that he couldn't pinpoint an exact date.

Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he looked at the colored monkeys around his feet. "Perhaps it's time to give the Super Robot a maintenance check…" he said.

Gibson and Otto looked up at him, chattering excitedly. The man smiled, knowing well how the two of them seemed to enjoy trips to the Robot. They especially were fond of watching him working on the Robot, and even attempted to help him with the repairs.

Glancing at the other monkeys, he added, "Perhaps we should visit the Super Robot today. What do you say?"

The blue and green monkeys gave eager shrieks, and even Nova, Sprx, and Mandarin chattered in soft agreement. However, the last monkey was missing from the group.

In fact, Antauri sat atop one of the machines; his legs were folded underneath him with his paws resting on his lap, and his eyes were closed in deep concentration. The black tail was the only thing that indicated movement. To the Alchemist, it appeared as though the simian was meditating, and he knew that could very well be the case. After all, he created these monkeys to be far different from normal others.

Movement distracted him, and the man caught Mandarin about to jump up to get Antauri's attention. Quickly he placed a hand on the orange monkey's head. "It's all right, Mandarin," he said softly. "There is no need to disturb him now. He can remain and watch over the lab while we are in the Robot."

The orange monkey chattered in protest, looking rather upset by the idea.

The man just smiled reassuringly. "Do not worry, Mandarin. Next time, it can be _you _who guards the lab. Sound fair?"

Mandarin gave no answer and instead glanced back at the black monkey. Then, hesitantly, he and the others followed the man out of the lab. The door closed heavily behind them.

* * *

The door creaked loudly as it widened, echoing throughout the lab. An unfamiliar scent startled Antauri, forcing the monkey to open his eyes. Getting up on all fours, he watched the hunched figure slowly enter the lab. The presence was strong…and menacing. Quietly he jumped off the machine, safely observing the stranger from behind it.

The unknown being was surveying the area, trying to judge for safety. Its scent was very similar to the metallic parts of the lab mixed with a natural foreign touch. Even as the figure stepped into the light, Antauri did not recognize it as one of the humans he knew.

"So this is where Captain Shuggazoom likes to hide," the figure mused in a voice Antauri did not know. "It seems my tracking device did serve some purpose before malfunctioning. But I wonder why he chooses a place so far from the city…"

Boldly the being stood in the laboratory, continuing to gaze around until his eyes rested on the far wall. "Well now, what have we here?"

Antauri watched as the figure slowly approached, and he ducked back behind the machine. Luckily the figure did not notice him, and instead removed the orange gauntlets from their resting place.

"Such weapons," the being stated as it inspected the sword glove. "Very interesting…But it would seem such a waste on the buffoon." A smirk formed on the wrinkled gray face. "Well, I suppose he wouldn't mind if I _borrowed_ these."

The figure tucked the gauntlets under its skeletal black arms, once again looking over the laboratory. When its back was turned, Antauri jumped onto the stranger's round shoulder, wrenching free one of the gloves.

The being jumped in surprise and grabbed at its shoulder. "What in the…?!" It grasped the simian in sharp black claws, pulling him away from its body. "A monkey?"

Antauri shrieked and bared his teeth, viciously struggling to break free of the tight grip. The figure laughed. "I wasn't aware Captain Shuggazoom kept pets," it spat. It snatched back the weapon before throwing the monkey against the wall. "Tell your master I said hello."

The black monkey fell to the ground with a soft whimper. But quickly struggling to his feet, he shook his head and ran after the retreating figure, jumping onto its leg and biting into it.

The being laughed again as the simian gnawed on the metal plating. Then he swiftly kicked his leg and sent Antauri flying back. But the monkey dragged its paws against the metallic tile, forcing himself to stop before leaping at the figure's pointed helmet.

No longer amused, the stranger seized the simian's tail and pulled him off its face. "Wretched creature," it spat as Antauri chewed the metal guard around its wrist. "I don't have time for this." Clutching the tail tighter, it struck the monkey against the wall again and held him upside down when Antauri's body went limp.

The figure was about to release the primate, but the black monkey suddenly curled into himself, reaching up and trying to scratch at the hand that held him. The stranger growled, "Very well, you stubborn beast. You wish to play? Then we shall play…"

* * *

As he flew over the city, Captain Shuggazoom yawned beneath his silver helmet. It was a relatively quiet day; the only occurrence so far was the robbery at Shuggazoom National Bank. But that had been taken care of quickly enough, and the hero opted between flying around a bit longer and returning to work.

He knew the latter choice would have been much worse, but the first was proving to be rather boring anyway. He sighed, resting on the roof of a nearby building. As much as he enjoyed knowing that the city was all well and fine, he wouldn't mind a little excitement…

Suddenly, an explosion echoed from the distance, followed by a crowd of screams. The superhero grinned as he sped towards the scene.

At first, the only thing that greeted Captain Shuggazoom when he arrived was a thick dark cloud that drifted through the streets. But as the smoke began to fade, he was able to make out the hunched silhouette in the center of the mess.

"Dr. Malicious," he said, folding his arms across his chest. "I guess it's just too hard for you to learn, huh?"

"On the contrary, Captain Shuggazoom," the villain said. "I learn something new all the time." When the smoke completely dissipated, the criminal turned towards the hero. It was only then that the protector noticed the burning blade coming from the foe's wrist.

"What…?" Captain Shuggazoom stuttered. "How did you…?"

Dr. Malicious laughed. "Look familiar?" he mocked. "I thought it would."

"Where did you get those?!" Shuggazoom demanded, ignoring the feeling in his stomach that already told him the answer.

"Why, from _you_, of course. I must say, I never imagined you could own a laboratory at all, let alone such an interesting one as what I saw. But then again, I suppose you're just full of surprises."

The hero clenched his fists, trying to contain his anger. It was bad enough that his arch foe had _found_ the Alchemist's lab, let alone _broken in_ and _stolen_ something from him. It was just a few days ago when he last visited the Alchemist. Malicious couldn't have stolen the gauntlets too long ago. Did the Alchemist know? Had he been there when Malicious stole the gauntlets? Was he…all right?

Without thinking, Captain Shuggazoom charged at the villain, throwing his fist for a crushing blow. The doctor raised the blue energy shield and blocked the strike, pushing the hero back before slashing the sword at him.

The captain quickly dodged, but just barely as the blade slit through his cape. Then he jumped back, but Dr. Malicious followed him and continued stabbing the sword at the hero. As he evaded another attack, the searing blue sword left its deep mark on the side of a building.

Jumping up into the air, Captain Shuggazoom glanced around before taking off towards the sky.

Dr. Malicious laughed, following the hero on his jet glider. "Who knew the city's greatest protector is such a _coward_?"

Clearing the top of the tallest buildings, the criminal found Captain Shuggazoom floating and waiting, his arms folded across his chest.

"Who's a coward?" the superhero shot back. "You can't even fight me without that eggshell around your body…"

Growling, Dr. Malicious rushed towards the protector and swung the energized weapon. Shuggazoom flew up and avoided the blade, which instead severed a large corner piece of the billboard behind the hero.

The superhero quickly flipped back. "Mind if I take this?" he asked, grabbing hold of the corner piece before it fell. "Then again, it might be better if _you _held onto it." Swinging the chunk of metal, he threw it towards the villain.

With not enough time to do much, Dr. Malicious could only raise the shield to protect himself from the billboard section. But the size and the force were too much, and it still knocked the foe off his glider.

Captain Shuggazoom dove after the villain, grasping the shield gauntlet. "Now," he said, "I believe you have something that needs to be returned."

Glaring at the superhero, Dr. Malicious swung the sword once more, and the hero scarcely missed the tip of the blade. In his surprise, however, his grip lightened just enough for the doctor to slip his hand out of the glove. He fell a short distance before his glider caught him, and he turned to the captain.

"You can take the shield," the felon retorted, "but I'll hang on to the sword for a while longer." With that, Dr. Malicious flew off, disappearing through the city's buildings.

Captain Shuggazoom watched the villain depart, debating whether or not to go after him. Then he looked at the gauntlet in his hand; the shield's energy already faded back to gray. Glancing at the direction where his arch foe took off, the hero then hurried towards the Alchemist's lab.

* * *

"Maybe he followed me the last time I came here…" Clayton mused, removing his helmet as he approached the lab door. He shook his head furiously. "No, that can't be right. If that were the case, he would have gotten the gloves a lot sooner. There's no way he would have waited days before showing them off. So when…?"

He inhaled deeply as he stopped at the entrance. Unsure of what he would find beyond those doors, he tried to calm his pounding heart as he slowly pushed them open.

At first glance, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The lab was as organized and tidy as it always was, the monkeys were running across the floor and chattering at each other, and the Alchemist sat in a nearby chair, hunched over a table with his forehead resting in his palm.

Clayton frowned as he observed his friend. Now that he thought about it, the Alchemist didn't usually idle about; not with all the projects and ideas floating around in that mind. Every time he came to visit, the robed scientist was working on _something_.

Slowly he approached the Alchemist. "Hey…" he said softly, "are you all right?"

The Alchemist started, looking up at the hero. "Oh…" he replied, placing a trembling hand to his heart. "I…I'm sorry, I…I was not expecting you."

"Sorry," Clayton said, taking a step back. "Um…is everything okay?"

The pale man shook his head. "No…" he sighed. "Unfortunately it is not."

Wincing a little, the guardian placed his helmet on the table. "Here, uh…" He held out the gauntlet to the other. "I think this belongs to you."

Glancing at the glove, the Alchemist's colored eyes widened. "What…?"

Clayton placed the shield in his friend's hands. "You know Dr. Malicious, right? I mean, I've told you about him…" He cleared his throat. "Anyway, he had them. I don't know how, but he managed to find this place and steal them."

He watched as the Alchemist stared at the glove, uneasiness rising within him from his friend's silence. "I'm sorry," he managed to say. "I know it was somehow my fault that he found you here. I was careless, and I wasn't even able to get the other one back. I was just making sure you were okay…"

Suddenly the Alchemist looked toward the empty wall where the gauntlets were supposed to be. "I never…I never realized they were gone," he whispered.

Clayton blinked. "You didn't?"

"No," the robed scientist said as he rose and went to the wall. Slowly he replaced the glove to its proper location.

Clayton frowned as he examined his friend, trying to understand what was wrong. If the other hadn't known that the gloves were missing, then why was he so upset?

Just as he was about to ask, however, he noticed as four of the monkeys slowly approached and sat on the floor; Nova, Otto, Sprx, and Gibson chattered softly to each other, and if Clayton didn't know better, he would have thought that they looked just as troubled as the Alchemist did. Then Mandarin ran up to the rest of them, barking at them sharply. The four looked at each other before following the orange monkey away.

He watched them go, silent for a moment. Then he looked at the Alchemist. "Where's Antauri?" he asked.

The scientist sighed heavily, closing his eyes as he rested his head against the wall. "I do not know."

Clayton's eyes widened. "What? What do you mean? What happened?"

"I do not know that either." Slowly, the Alchemist faced his friend. "The rest of us had stepped out to check on the Super Robot, and we left Antauri here because he was taking some time alone. I was certain I closed the door behind us when we left, but when we returned a few hours later, I found it open and Antauri was nowhere to be found." He turned back to the wall, placing a hand on the gauntlet. "At first, I feared I had made a severe mistake, but even so Antauri is not the type to run away. But I could not think of anything else."

"How long has he been missing?" Clayton asked.

"This all happened yesterday."

The hero rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "If all of you guys were on the Super Robot except for Antauri, then he must have been here when Dr. Malicious came to steal the gloves."

"Antauri would not have taken that lightly," the Alchemist continued. "He almost certainly would have tried to protect the gauntlets."

"But Dr. Malicious still got them. Maybe when he started to get away, Antauri tried to follow him."

The Alchemist turned to his friend. "Perhaps. But he couldn't keep up with your super villain, could he?"

"I doubt it," Clayton replied as he grabbed his helmet. "But maybe he's around here somewhere. Let me check over the area and see if I can find him."

"All right," the scientist replied, sighing once again. Then he turned to the colorful monkeys as they drew near.

As he headed to leave, Clayton glanced back at his friend informing the monkeys about what happened. The last thing he heard before taking off was the Alchemist telling them not to worry, and that they would find the missing simian soon.

They _knew_, Clayton realized. They _knew_ Antauri was missing…and they had been _looking_ for him. They had been looking because they were _worried_ about him, and they _missed_ him.

But how was it possible? They were just monkeys, after all. How could they understand?

* * *

Captain Shuggazoom yawned as he flew over the city park, trying to keep awake for the journey home. It had been a long day of futile searching, and he needed to get some sleep to do more of the same tomorrow.

They had spent almost the entire day looking, yet they found no trace of the black monkey anywhere. Even in a forest, they should have _found _something. Though the Alchemist said that none of the monkeys had ever left the lab before, they still should have found Antauri wandering around in the trees or something, trying to find his way back. After just one day, how far could a little monkey like that go?

But they couldn't find even the slightest clue about what happened. He couldn't forget the disappointed expression that the monkeys shared, knowing that one of their own was lost somewhere. And though the Alchemist tried to reassure and comfort them, he seemed just as distressed as they were.

To him, the Alchemist acted like a parent who had just lost a child. Which made some sense, since the Alchemist raised them all from the beginning. But still, Antauri was _just_ a monkey…wasn't he?

He yawned again, finishing it with a sigh. It was still hard to believe that he had spent the whole day looking for Antauri. Luckily the city hadn't needed him for any other emergencies, and hopefully nothing would happen tomorrow when he went back to the lab to help search some more.

He wasn't sure what time it was, but he knew it was pretty late. So why, he wondered as he looked down at the park, was there a crowd of people?

Curious, the hero landed in the park where most of the people were gathered. Against the dim street lights, he could see that the group of men and women wore similar tan uniforms, and they were all gathered around and looking up one of the tallest trees in the area.

"Are you sure it's still there?" one of the men asked, poking one of the branches with a tall metal rod.

"It should be," the woman next to him said. "We didn't see it jump to any other trees."

"It's dark," the man retorted. "How would we tell?"

"What seems to be the trouble here?" Captain Shuggazoom asked.

Everyone except for the one woman looked towards the hero. "We're trying to catch a monkey," the first man said, handing the metal pole to the woman.

The captain felt his stomach suddenly lurch. "A monkey?" he repeated.

The woman clicked her tongue, still looking up the tree as she carefully moved some branches with the pole. "A fisher pulled a sac into his boat, and he found the poor thing inside, unconscious. So he took it to the zoo, where the vets tried to treat it. But then it woke up, and it somehow escaped into the city." She shook her head and sighed, pushing strands of ebony hair from her face.

"We've been chasing that thing for hours," the man continued, sounding a little agitated. "I still can't believe it's outrun us for so long."

"It's scared," the woman said. Turning to Captain Shuggazoom, she said, "It also must be exhausted…and I can't tell you how many times the poor little guy almost got run over."

The hero winced beneath his helmet, glancing up the tree. "Mind if I take a look?" he asked. "Maybe I can get him down."

The man scoffed. "Good luck to you."

"Shush you," the woman admonished. To the hero, she said, "Just be careful. Cornered animals tend to attack."

Slowly floating up, Shuggazoom carefully moved his way through the branches, trying to see through the darkness. Based on the story he just heard, he wasn't sure if he wanted to believe the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. But as he reached the thinner top branches, his eyes confirmed what he already knew.

On a slim branch, the black monkey sat curled up against the trunk. The simian hissed and bared his teeth, his ebony fur on end.

For a minute, the hero could do nothing but stare. Was this really Antauri? Was this the same quiet black monkey who didn't like to play with the others? He never saw the simian _pretend_ to fight, let alone prepare to do so for real.

"Antauri…?" he whispered, slowly reaching for the monkey.

Antauri growled, snapping at the hero's hands and causing him to pull back.

"Antauri, it's me!" he said, opening his helmet so the simian could see his face. "You remember me, don't you?"

Slowly the monkey's tense body relaxed, and his fierce expression faded into one of curiosity. Uncoiling his body, Antauri sniffed the air surrounding the man.

"Come on," Clayton gently prodded, opening his arms to the primate. "It's okay…I'm not gonna hurt you."

Suddenly Antauri leapt from the branch, clinging to the man tightly and chattering anxiously. The hero held the black monkey gingerly, feeling the weakness in the small body. His mind raced, trying to figure out how a small animal like this could make it all the way from the Alchemist's lab to Shuggazoom.

Then he frowned as he looked the monkey over, noticing the patches where fur had been ripped off, revealing small cuts and bruises on the skin underneath. When Antauri began trembling, he pulled his cape around to cover the simian and warm him up. It was only then that he found the small tranquilizer dart still stuck in Antauri's side.

Carefully removing the dart, Captain Shuggazoom then closed his helmet again before descending to the ground. "I think this is yours," he said, holding up the dart to the man.

The man slowly took the tranquilizer, wary of the hero's cold tone. "We used it to try and catch that thing," he argued. "It was supposed to put it to sleep, but for some reason it didn't work."

"Here," the woman said, holding her arms out. "We'll take it back to the zoo."

"Uh…" Captain Shuggazoom glanced down at the black monkey. "No. This one doesn't belong in a zoo."

"Well, what else are we supposed to do with it?" the man asked.

"I'll take care of it," the captain replied, quickly debating what to do. Lifting into the air before they could ask any questions, he added, "Thanks for catching him." Then he quickly flew off.

* * *

Clayton switched on the lights as he entered the kitchen, carefully shifting Antauri in his arms. The black monkey had been sleeping until the hero finished changing from his suit into civilian clothes, and now he just glanced around in a daze.

He knew he should have returned the monkey to the Alchemist. After all, he knew what time of night it was wouldn't matter to his friend if it meant getting Antauri back. But it would have taken a while to get to the lab, and judging by the woman's earlier story, the simian needed to get something to eat.

Gently placing Antauri on the counter, Clayton then walked over to the fridge and looked around for something to feed the monkey. He had seen the Alchemist feed them all before; some fruits (except for bananas, for some weird reason), some vegetables, and some weird meat substance that he never wanted to ask about.

But he wasn't sure what to give the black simian now. He was lacking in fruits and vegetables, and he didn't know if Antauri would eat what was in his fridge. Rubbing his chin thoughtfully, he then grabbed the plate with small pieces of steak and closed the fridge.

"Here," he said, placing the plate in front of Antauri.

Blinking tiredly, the primate sniffed at the plate questioningly. Then with a small whimper, he sat back and looked away.

"Come on, you need to eat something," Clayton said, inching the plate closer to the simian. "It's probably been…what? More than 24 hours since you've eaten. Just have some."

Antauri shook his head, pushing the plate away and stepping back from it.

The man sighed, picking up a piece of steak from the plate. "Come on, Antauri. Just try some. It's good." He held the piece up to the monkey.

Antauri weakly pushed the man's hand away, chattering softly as he sat on the edge of the counter.

Placing the piece down, Clayton wiped his hands and rested his chin in his palm, staring at the black monkey in agitation. He just couldn't understand; Antauri _had _to be hungry. So why wouldn't he eat? Even if the food wasn't the same as what the Alchemist made, it should have been good enough. He had to get the monkey to take some food, but he had a feeling that Antauri would continue to be stubborn about it.

_Each monkey does have an individual personality…_

He wasn't entirely sure why the words passed through his mind, but he found himself thinking about what the Alchemist told him that day and looking back at some of his other visits to his friend. He recalled watching the Alchemist feed the colorful simians before, and he never really paid much attention to when they ate. But he was fairly certain that the Alchemist always let them _choose _what they wanted to eat. If they _did _have individual personalities…if they had personal preferences, then that would make sense.

He frowned a little, rubbing his chin. Could it really be…?

Looking at the black monkey for a moment longer, Clayton then took the plate and went back to the refrigerator. Putting the plate away, he then held the door open and looked over at the monkey. "So Antauri," he said, "what do you wanna eat?"

Antauri looked at the man curiously, head tipped to one side. Then he looked towards the fridge, eyes scanning over its contents. After a moment, the simian pointed up. Following the monkey's direction, Clayton found a white ceramic bowl sitting on the top shelf. As he took it down and closed the refrigerator door, he discovered he was looking at a leafy salad.

"Huh…" he said as he placed the bowl in front of Antauri, "I didn't even know that was there…"

The black monkey sniffed the bowl and glanced at the man.

"Well? Go ahead."

Looking back at the bowl, Antauri slowly reached out and took a lettuce leaf, carefully nibbling on it.

Clayton sighed. At least Antauri was eating _something_. Watching the simian eat more of the salad for another moment, he then patted the monkey's head. "Wait here a second," he said. "I'll be right back."

Not wanting to leave the primate alone for too long, he half-jogged to the nearby laundry room (which was fortunately not too far from the kitchen). He spied the plastic white laundry basket as soon as he entered, which was currently empty to his relief. Rummaging through the cabinets, the man pulled out some old, but clean sheets, using them to line the laundry basket and make it as comfortable as possible.

He should return Antauri to the Alchemist. It would ease the poor man's mind, and he was sure that the simian would have been happier as well. But Antauri was also still exhausted. And since he was pretty tired as well, the lab just seemed too far off to get there during the dead of night. He would just take Antauri back first thing in the morning.

Besides, the most important thing was that the black monkey was safe.

When he felt the container was cozy enough, he picked it up and headed back into the kitchen, expecting to find Antauri still eating on the counter where he left him.

Actually, he found the salad bowl was still mostly full and abandoned, for the black monkey had moved from the counter to one of the windows. As the simian looked up at the stars in the night sky, Clayton placed down the laundry basket and watched him, noting the expression on Antauri's face. It was the same pained look that the other monkeys had when they couldn't find him…the same suffering gaze…the same longing to be reunited with family.

Except…Antauri seemed much lonelier. And Clayton couldn't blame him for that. After all, no matter how much they all missed Antauri, the other monkeys had each other and the Alchemist for comfort. But the black monkey was on his own…in a giant city that he's never been to or seen before.

Clayton clicked his tongue and shook his head. 'What a welcome,' he thought. He couldn't imagine what it would be like to wake up among a bunch of strangers, with your family nowhere in sight…then fight to get free only to get lost in a strange place. If all that wasn't enough, the simian had to contend with the dangers of the city and being chased by more unfamiliar people.

Antauri certainly went through a lot that day. How much scarier would it be…to go through all that alone?

He slowly walked up and stood behind the black monkey, placing a gentle hand on his head. Antauri looked up at him curiously.

"We'll get you back home tomorrow," Clayton said. "For now, I think we both could use some sleep." Carefully he took Antauri off the window sill and placed him in the laundry basket. "How's that?"

Feeling around in the basket, Antauri chattered softly. With a small yawn, the monkey then settled deeper into the makeshift bed and closed his eyes.

With a small smile, Clayton picked up the basket, mindful not to wake the sleeping simian as he carried the basket to his bedroom.

* * *

Captain Shuggazoom sighed as he shifted his hold on the fidgeting monkey. "If you don't stop moving around, I'm going to drop you," he warned.

Antauri chattered anxiously, looking down at the city below. The hero wasn't sure if it was because they were so high up or because the monkey was curious to see Shuggazoom. But after a night's rest, the simian was certainly lively.

Glancing down at the city as well, he noticed that there weren't many people out that morning. Of course it was still pretty early; he hoped to bring Antauri back to the Alchemist and get back to the city before any emergencies (if any) came up. Leaving early on, he thought, would have given him plenty of time to return.

And it probably would have worked. But once again he found himself stopping in mid-air as Antauri squirmed in his arms.

"What's the problem, Antauri?" he asked, unable to keep the irritation out of his tone. "Don't you wanna get back home?"

The primate shrieked, suddenly jumping out of the man's arms and leaping off to the side. Captain Shuggazoom reached out and grabbed him before he could fall.

"Antauri!" he said, looking at the simian. "What do you think you're –?"

The rest of the question faded into an unexpected yell as pain suddenly shot through his arm, causing him to nearly drop the black monkey. Antauri, however, grasped the man's shoulders and held on as the captain held the wound on his arm, feeling the blood stain his glove and uniform.

"Tsk," the hero heard a familiar voice say. "And I was so close…"

He glared at his arch foe. "Malicious…" he spat.

"Once again, Captain Shuggazoom," the doctor said as he held up the glowing blue blade, "your wretched monkey has gotten in my way."

The superhero felt Antauri's grip tighten ever so slightly as they both looked at the cyborg, and ignoring the gash on his arm he carefully held the black monkey.

"I'm surprised, really," Dr. Malicious continued. "I assumed it had already drowned in the bay."

Captain Shuggazoom's blood ran cold. "What…?"

The villain said nothing further and instead charged at the hero with the sword drawn. The captain dodged, unable to do much else with the simian in his arms.

'I _should_ have known!' Clayton berated himself. 'It all makes sense now! Why Antauri went missing, and how he got into Shuggazoom so quickly…I _should_ have expected that Malicious was behind it. So why couldn't I figure it out?!'

Because kidnapping a small animal was pretty low, even for the doctor.

Then again, Dr. Malicious didn't know about the Alchemist. The felon assumed that Antauri and the lab all belonged to him. Maybe taking Antauri was meant to hurt him somehow.

Well, it certainly worked…

He was abruptly drawn from his thoughts as a sharp sensation rose from his leg. Maybe he should pay more attention to what he was doing now instead of letting his instincts take over the battle.

"Maybe I should be grateful you took the shield back," Malicious said, pushing the edge of the blade deeper into the hero's leg. "The sword is much more effective."

With a low growl, Captain Shuggazoom swung his free leg at the villain, pushing the other away and wrenching free from the blade. He could feel the warm, sticky fluid running down his leg as the pain throbbed at the wound.

"Not your best performance, Captain," the cyborg mocked, aiming the sword once again as he charged.

Antauri suddenly screeched, twisting free from the hero's grip and leaping at the villain. Surprised, Dr. Malicious once again used the edge the blade to defend himself.

Clayton's eyes widened beneath his helmet as the black monkey landed on the sword. "Antauri!"

Dr. Malicious smirked, watching the simian struggle as the blade cut into its lower abdomen. "Just as foolish as your master," he uttered. He swiftly threw down his arm to toss the creature aside.

As the villain did so, however, Antauri clutched the base of the sword and wrapped his tail around it. When the primate fell, he managed to pull the weapon off the foe's hand and take it down with him.

"Antauri!" Captain Shuggazoom exclaimed, diving down after the monkey. However, Dr. Malicious shot after them as well, desperate to get the sword back. The excess jets on his glider suddenly flared, propelling him forward ahead of the hero and pushing him aside.

Straightening himself, the hero clenched his fists and flew after his arch foe. Without thinking, he fired an electric shot which hit one of the glider's jets. The craft lost its balance and veered off to the side, sending the doctor careening off course.

And glancing between the cyborg and the falling monkey, Captain Shuggazoom cursed every moral fiber in his body. "Sorry, Antauri," he murmured. Coming to a quick stop, he then sped after the wayward glider.

Even with only one jet, the glider was still pretty fast. But the superhero managed to catch up to it, grabbing it and knocking out the other engine. Then he forced the craft to a sudden halt and stabilized it in the air. The doctor, who had been holding onto his glider for dear life, looked at the hero with mild surprise on his wrinkled features. It only lasted for a moment, though, as the foe then started up his glider again and took off.

Captain Shuggazoom could have gone after him. Maybe he should have. But instead, he let the villain go. There were more important things to worry about.

He flew back to the area where the black monkey had fallen, hoping beyond hope that Antauri was okay. If he wasn't…the hero couldn't even think about it.

"Antauri?" he called, floating slowly to look for the simian carefully. 'At least I don't see his body on the street…' he thought. 'That's a good sign…I think.'

He descended a little, trying to get a better view between the buildings. "Antauri?" he tried again. "Antauri!"

Somehow – though he wasn't sure how – he heard the soft whimper of a reply close by. Looking up, he found the black monkey hanging from the edge of a building's roof, unable to pull himself up. Antauri had managed to remove the sword from his body, and the gauntlet hung from the thin black tail.

Flying up, the hero took the monkey into his arms. "I gotcha," he said softly, landing on top of the roof and gently easing the monkey down. Grabbing his cape with trembling hands, he tore part of it off in thin strips and carefully tied them over the large wound.

"There," he said. "That should be okay until we get back to the Alchemist." But his heart continued to pound heavily as blood already seeped through the orange-black cloth.

Antauri chattered weakly, pointing to the man's arm.

The captain automatically brushed it aside. "Mine's nothing compared to yours," he replied, gingerly picking up the monkey. "Come on. We better get you home fast."

Chattering again, the black monkey then held the gauntlet up to the man with his tail. The man couldn't help but smile a little as he took the weapon. "You did well, Antauri," he said.

He wasn't entirely sure, but he thought the black monkey smiled back. Shrugging it off, he quickly headed for the Alchemist's lab.

* * *

In the stillness of the lab, he could easily hear the door as it opened. The heavy footsteps signaled his friend's arrival, but the Alchemist did not move from his spot at the table. Instead, the man rested his head in his hands, trying to ignore his worry and fatigue. There was just too much to do around the lab…so much work to finish. But unsurprisingly, he was having too much trouble concentrating on anything else.

As his friend's presence drew closer, the colorful simians – who had been unnervingly quiet since the day before – suddenly began shrieking. Surprised, he looked up as the monkeys jumped up and down before leaping off the table. Watching them as they ran up to the hero, his eyes widened and he rose to his feet. "Antauri…!"

The black monkey chattered softly, and despite his own exhaustion he jumped from Captain Shuggazoom's arms to the waiting Alchemist. The other monkeys screeched excitedly around them as the two shared an embrace.

Placing his helmet on the nearby table, Clayton smiled and watched his friend. The Alchemist seemed as relieved and thrilled to have Antauri back as the simian was to be back.

After a while, the Alchemist pulled back to look over the monkey. "Oh, Antauri," he said softly, noticing the orange-black cloth. "What happened?"

"It's a long story," Clayton said, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll…tell you about it later."

Chattering loudly, the monkeys on the ground tugged at the Alchemist's robe, jumping up and trying to see the black monkey better. The scientist hesitated, knowing that he needed to take care of Antauri's injury first. But…they had waited so long, and he couldn't ignore the pleading looks on their faces. And as Antauri was reaching down to get to them as well, he thought it might also help the black monkey feel better.

"All right," he sighed, carefully placing Antauri down among them. "But be careful of his wound, all right?"

Finally reunited, the monkeys howled joyfully. Nova, Sprx, Gibson, and Otto gathered around Antauri and cuddled up to him. Mandarin, though did not join the group embrace, had a satisfied expression on his face.

"They really missed him, huh?" Clayton asked as he watched the monkeys chatter and gently play with the black one.

The Alchemist nodded. "They have never been separated like this before," he replied. "It has been a…difficult experience for all of us."

Clayton sighed. "Yeah…Oh, I almost forgot." He held up the orange gauntlet. "It's probably not as important as getting Antauri back, but…"

Slowly the robed man took the weapon, handling it delicately. Looking up at the hero, he smiled a little. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Antauri was actually the one who got it back."

The Alchemist looked back at the makeshift bandage around the black monkey's body. The other simians had also noticed it, regarding the cloth with wonder and concern. By now, they could see the blood they smelled before. Noticing Antauri was beginning to tire, he placed the glove down and carefully scooped the black one into his arms.

"Perhaps we should take care of that wound now," he said.

Clayton and the other monkeys followed as the Alchemist took Antauri into another part of the lab. In the room were six colored baskets, and at the far wall was another small table. Placing the black monkey on the table, the Alchemist slowly peeled away the orange-black cloth, wincing sympathetically when he finally caught sight of the gash.

Placing the blood-soaked fabric aside, the Alchemist cleaned the wound as gently as possible, not wanting to hurt the simian any more than necessary. Even so, Antauri whimpered occasionally, and he strived to finish as quickly as efficiently possible. When he was finally done, he carefully wrapped a clean white bandage around the wound, then picked up the monkey again and placed him down in the black basket for some well deserved rest. As the other monkeys gathered around the other's bed, he informed them that Antauri needed sleep, and that they were not to disturb him.

And through it all, Clayton explained the entire story to the Alchemist. He described the event at the park and relayed the story the woman had told him before, he explained taking Antauri back to his mansion because it was so late that night, and he told of the confrontation with Dr. Malicious and just _how_ Antauri retrieved the weapon.

"He went through quite an ordeal," the Alchemist said once the tale came to an end. Looking over his friend, he added, "You also went through plenty, it seems. Would you like me to address your injuries as well?"

The hero had actually forgotten about his own wounds. But even as they began to painfully remind him that they were there, he just shrugged. "I'm okay," he said. "I was more worried about Antauri. The poor little guy really had it rough these past few days."

"Indeed he has," the robed man sighed.

"Yeah. And it's difficult enough going through any of that _period_. It's hard to think of going through it alone like he did."

The Alchemist shook his head. "He was not alone. He had you."

Clayton blinked and turned to his friend. "What? No, he…Well, I mean, I guess somewhat. But most of the time, he was by himself."

"But you were there for him at a time when he needed someone the most," the Alchemist replied. "I'm sure he realizes that as well…and he's grateful to you for it."

Staring at the scientist for a moment, Clayton then glanced at the black monkey, unsure of how to respond to that. It was still…strange to think that a monkey could experience those kinds of thoughts. But then again, he was already figuring out that they really did understand what went on around them.

As he looked at the simian, he couldn't help the chuckle that rose from his throat. The Alchemist turned slightly to look at the black basket, where he found the other five monkeys curled up with Antauri. All six were peacefully sleeping.

* * *

"So Captain Shuggazoom," the Alchemist said, looking up from his work as the hero entered. "To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Clayton removed his helmet, holding it under his arm. "Well, I was kind of hoping for a favor," he replied with a sheepish grin. "See, it's getting a little tough protecting the city by myself, what with all these new villains coming in."

"Oh, certainly not too tough for you," the scientist said, a mischievous glint in his colored eyes.

Clayton gave him a good-natured glare. "_Anyway_…I was just wondering if you could help me out somehow."

Soft chattering suddenly grabbed the men's attention, and they both watched as Antauri slowly approached them. With a small grin, the hero knelt down as the monkey drew closer.

"Hey, Antauri," he said, petting the monkey's head. "It's been a while, huh?" He looked up at the Alchemist. "How's he doing?"

"He is recovering very well," the robed man answered. "The wound is almost healed, and thankfully will not scar. He has also gotten a lot of rest, which has helped tremendously."

Clayton nodded. "That's good." Looking back at the monkey, he said, "You just take it easy, okay? You'll be better in no time."

Antauri chattered softly in reply. Then he turned away and ran over to where the other monkeys were.

Rising to his feet, the hero blinked when he caught the amused smile on the Alchemist's face. "What?" he asked.

"I believe Antauri has grown quite fond of you," the robed man said.

"Huh?" Clayton stared at him, bewildered. "How could you tell?"

The Alchemist's smile deepened as he turned to his work on the table. "Well, he never came to greet you when you visited before, has he?"

Clayton blinked, looking where Antauri sat while watching Sprx and Gibson playfully tussle. "Huh…" he said. "That's true, isn't it?"

The Alchemist didn't respond and continued to smile, returning to his work as Clayton watched Otto jump in the game. The hero had to admit, it had been interesting having Antauri with him those few weeks ago. And the black monkey really did help out against Dr. Malicious.

Which, of course, reminded him why he was there in the first place. He had wanted to see if the Alchemist would create an assistant for him…almost like a sidekick. He wouldn't even mind a monkey…

**The End**


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